Category Archives: Desserts

March 9, 2011 · 11:55 am

Jessica Seinfeld’s Yellow Cake

I don’t like cake and I could eat this cake all day long. It is SOOOOOO good…moist and yummy! The icing is to die for as well and I don’t like icing either.

Cake
Ingredients:
nonstick cooking spray
18 ounces yellow cake mix, any brand (I used vanilla.)
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
6 ounces nonfat yogurt (lemon, banana, or vanilla flavored) *I used lemon.

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your cakepan with non-stick spray and lightly flour.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour batter into the cake pan. Bake about 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Did I change anything? The original recipe called for one additional egg white which I left out.

What did the family think? Super duper thumbs up! SOOO good!

Icing
Ingredients:
8 ounces whipped cream cheese (Buy the kind that is already whipped.)
1/2 cup pureed carrot (use baby food)
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate or the juice from 1/2 a medium orange
1-2 tsp powdered sugar (Do a taste test before you add it.)

Instructions:
Put the cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl. Put in the microwave for just a few seconds
(10-15 maybe?) just to soften it up a little bit.

Beat the carrots, cream cheese and orange juice until smooth in a medium bowl.

Spread on cake after cake has cooled.

Keeps at room temp for 2 days. This makes enough for a batch of 12 standard cupcakes.

Did I change anything? I left out the salt the recipe originally called for and I added about 1-2 tsp of powdered sugar. Taste yours before you add it, but I just thought it needed to be a little sweeter. I also used whipped cream cheese and I think it made the texture of the icing fantabulous.

What did the family think? Yummo!

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

February 11, 2011 · 2:26 pm

Cinnamon Raisin Peanut Butter Cookies

Hubby is always asking if I could please make him some cookies…he loves cookies, especially chocolate, (No, there isn’t any chocolate in these.) and my oldest was having a friend over to play after school, so I thought I would make these for a snack. The boys loved them and there were leftovers for the hubby…and me.

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup natural peanut butter (creamy)
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup carrot puree (I used baby food)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup raisins
Nonstick cooking spray

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, maple syrup, carrot puree, canola oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined.

Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture. Turn the batter over with a spatula about 7 times. Do not overmix! There will be dry spots. Stir in raisins.

While the batter is resting, spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, drop tablespoonfuls of dough onto the baking sheets 1 inch apart. Fill a small bowl with water and, using a fork, press down on the dough, making a crisscross on each cookie. Wet the fork each time.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool before packing in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Did I change anything? I left out the raisins…my boys can be finicky about raisins. Of course when I told them that I had left them out my oldest said I should have put them in. That’s what I get for trying. 🙂

What did the family think? Everyone loved them. They are super peanut buttery and perfect with a cold glass of milk.

from Jessica Seinfeld

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January 3, 2011 · 9:30 pm

Cake Mix Cookies

I was looking for a recipe for easy cookies…yep, doesn’t get much easier than these.

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package vanilla flavored cake mix
2 egg yolks
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg yolks and margarine together until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add cake mix while beating with an electric mixer. Mixture should be stiff. If it is sticky to the touch, refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Form teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls, and dip tops in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 350 degrees for 11 minutes for soft cookies, and for 13 minutes for crispy cookies.

Did I change anything? I didn’t this time, but I got to thinking that if you can use vanilla cake mix, why couldn’t you use chocolate cake mix or carrot cake mix or whatever cake mix you wanted to use? I bet these would be SUPER tasty with chocolate cake mix.

What did the family think? We had these as our New Year’s Eve dinner dessert with a bowl of vanilla ice cream. It makes quite a few, so we are still eating them along with the leftover ice cream. Everybody loves them!

from allrecipes.com

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Filed under After School Snacks, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Easy, Everybody Ate It, Six Ingredients or Less, Super Easy to Make, Vegetarian

January 1, 2011 · 1:39 pm

Easy Cinnamon Rolls

I usually steer clear of any recipe that requires yeast and/or a rolling pin, but a gal from our church in Kansas said these were easy, and you know what…she was right! Thanks, LeeAnn!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package instant yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water
1 egg
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Instructions:
Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in butter; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt; mix well. Add water, egg and the milk mixture; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has just pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, softened butter.

Roll out dough into a 12×9 inch rectangle. Spread dough with butter/sugar mixture. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Roll up dough and pinch seam to seal.

Cut into 12 equal size rolls and place cut side up in 12 lightly greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until browned. Remove from muffin cups to cool. Serve warm.

Did I change anything? I added some icing to them after they had cooled a little. (recipe below) I think next time I will bake them in a greased glass pie dish instead of the muffin tin. The muffin tin was fine, but it’s going to be a bear to clean.

What did the family think? These were an awesome addition to our New Year’s morning brunch.

Icing
Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk (add more milk if it’s too thick)

Instructions:
Pour both ingredients into a bowl and stir. Add more milk if needed. Drizzle icing over cinnamon rolls with a spoon.

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Filed under Bread, Breakfast, Definitely Making it Again, Desserts, Everybody Ate It, Vegetarian

December 25, 2010 · 10:02 pm

Chocolate Cornflake Cookies

Yep, just like the butterscotch ones only with chocolate. These are super yummy, too!

Ingredients:
1 package chocolate chips (11 oz.)
3/4 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts
3 cups corn flakes cereal

Instructions:
Melt the chocolate chips in a large microwaveable bowl for about 90 seconds or until chips are melted.

Pour in peanuts and cereal and stir until everything is coated with chocolate.

Line countertops with wax or parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto wax/parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes.

What did the family think? Yum, yum, super yum and yum again. 😉

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· 9:55 pm

Butterscotch Cornflake Cookies

These are SUPER easy and taste SO good!

Ingredients:
1 package butterscotch chips (11 oz.)
3/4 cup dry-roasted salted peanuts
3 cups corn flakes cereal

Instructions:
Melt the butterscotch chips in a large microwaveable bowl for about 90 seconds or until chips are melted.

Pour in peanuts and cereal and stir until everything is coated with butterscotch.

Line countertops with wax or parchment paper. Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto wax/parchment paper and let cool for about 15 minutes.

What did the family think? Everyone is our house who likes butterscotch thought these were SUPER yum and the kids had fun helping me make them.

from Pinch My Salt

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December 17, 2010 · 11:15 pm

Lacy Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are very good and I made them even better by drizzling some chocolate over them…the hubster really likes chocolate. 🙂

Ingredients:
1 cup quick oats
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cover baking sheets with foil, then coat with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl combine sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed to form a grainy paste. Add egg and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add flour mixture and blend just until combined.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on baking sheets, 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to turn golden brown. Let cool and then peel off cookies with fingers.

Be sure to respray baking sheets between batches.

Did I change anything? I melted some chocolate chips in the microwave in a Ziploc bag, snipped the corner of the bag and drizzled the chocolate over the cookies. Everything is better with chocolate, right? 🙂 Also, these cookies SPREAD when they cook. Make sure you only use a teaspoon full of dough and make sure you leave enough space between the cookies.

What did the family think? I think they are yummy and so does our oldest kiddo. I think hubby skipped these and just ate the chocolate chips I bought to melt and drizzle over them.

from Mrs. Fields’ Cookie Book

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· 10:57 pm

Eggnog Cookies

I don’t like eggnog, but I do like these very festive cookies.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup salted butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 T ground nutmeg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.

In a large bowl cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer to form a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at a medium speed until smooth.

Add the flour mixture and beat at a low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 inch apart.

Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn lightly brown.

What did the family think? I am not sure if the family has tried any yet, since most of them went to school for the teachers, but I tasted one (or two) and they are really good. They were especially good right out of the oven with a nice cold glass of milk. 🙂

from Mrs. Fields’ Cookie Book

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November 14, 2010 · 9:21 pm

Pumpkin Scones with Cream Cheese Frosting

The scones are good, but with the frosting…me oh my!

Scones
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.

Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

Icing
Ingredients:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:
In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add confectioners sugar and vanilla extract; beat until smooth. Add enough milk to make a good spreading consistency. Frost the scones while they are still warm.

What did the family think? Anything with cream cheese on it is good, but when you put cream cheese on a pumpkin scone…yowser!

from whatscookingamerica.com and food.com

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November 1, 2010 · 1:53 pm

Leftover Halloween Candy Cookies

These cookies are so much fun! The best part is you can mix and match any way you want…so you might have an M&M and Milky Way cookie or just keep it simple and stick to Snickers or put three or four different kinds of candies in one cookie.

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks/chips
Halloween Candy (e.g. M&M’s, Rolos, Snickers, etc.)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Beat in baking soda and salt. Add flour and stir until it is mixed in.

Stir chocolate chunks/chips into the dough.

Scoop 1/4 cups of dough onto cookie sheet and flatten slightly into mounds. Leave about 3 inches between cookies because they will spread as they bake. Press candy (decoratively) into cookie mounds. Mix and match it any way you would like.

Bake 14-16 minutes or until cookies are almost set. Do not overbake; centers should be slightly soft. Cool on baking sheet for about 7 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes about 12 cookies.

Did I change anything? Yes, I reduced the amount of chocolate chips…I figured there’s enough chocolate in the candy, but then I actually tasted the cookies and realized I should have put the whole cup in. Live and learn. 🙂

What does the family think? They are all at work and school right now, but I don’t think they are going to object to fresh, warm, whimsical cookies…although the kids might be a little ticked that I got into their candy. Oh well! 🙂

from Coffeehouse Cookies

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